Officers also strengthen information exchange with counterparts worldwide through a local bomb data centre, although they stress city is not a target
The Hong Kong police bomb disposal squad has stepped up training for frontline officers, including anti-terrorism units, by using real cases in drills and strengthening information exchange with counterparts worldwide through a local bomb data centre. The fatal suicide bombings by Islamist terrorists at which killed at least 11 people last year was one of the scenarios used in training, the police said. The force said Hong Kong should stay alert to terror attacks, although no intelligence had suggested the city was a target. In an interview with the last week, Tony Chow Shek-kin, senior bomb disposal officer with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau, said suicide bombings had become a common terror tactic in recent years. “Many of us know how to handle people armed with guns or knives. But our officers also need to know what to do if someone holding a bomb or a trigger is standing right in front of them. The security risk involved with bombs moves with the suicide bombers, unlike general bombs that stand still,” the veteran senior superintendent said. “Terrorists’ tactics change rapidly. Therefore any drills or exercises should be lifelike.
